This year's Northern Lights Festival Boréal — which, you should know, opens on Friday — has a special significance for its executive director, Max Merrifield.
His dad, Scott Merrifield, was one of the festival's founders back in 1972, and began a relationship with his wife, and Max's mom, Vickie McGauley, at an early edition of the festival, when they were co-artistic directors.
Max was just five months old when his parents brought him to Northern Lights festival for the first time. A photo of Scott cradling baby Max in his arms at the festival actually ran in Northern Life in 1986.
History has apparently repeated itself, as Max met his partner, Ashlyne Botelho, at Northern Lights Festival.
The couple now have a two-month-old daughter, Layla, and Max plans on bringing her to Northern Lights.
“It's amazing,” said Max, who, when he's not planning Sudbury's folk festival, is a hip-hop artist who goes by the moniker Silvertongue. “I'm happy to be a part of it and to have (Layla) be a part of it. The festival represents the spirit of creativity and diversity that I want her to grow up appreciating.
“In a way, maybe it's a stretch, but that's the kind of world I want her to live in.”
This year's Northern Lights festival runs July 8-10. Visit NLFB.ca for the lineup and ticket information.
